Miandad wants ban on ICL players lifted

Lahore, Nov 22 (UNI) Former opener Shoaib Mohammad and fast bowler Salim Jaffar have been inducted as members in the selection committee, the PCB announced here.

''They have been appointed on a full-time basis in the paid selection committee and will be responsible for selecting the national cricket team and Pakistan 'A' team,'' the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.

The appointment of the duo in the selection committee came a day after former leg-spinner Abdul Qadir was named as chief selector.

Intrestingly, both Jaffar and Shoiab were also part of the earlier set up. While the former was the chief selector the later was a member.

They are the latest inclusions in the new cricketing setup after Ijaz Butt took over as chief of the PCB last month.

Others who have been inducted include Salim Altaf (Chief Operating Officer), Javed Miandad (Director General), Aamir Sohail (Director of the National Cricket Academy) and Wasim Bari (Director of Human Resources).

Meanwhile, just appointed PCB director general Javed Miandad has lent his support to the cricketers playing in the Indian Cricket League (ICL) saying there is no need to have a blanket ban on them.

Pakistani players have performed very well in the ICL and it will be unjust to ignore them, the media quoted Miandad as saying.

He gave the example of Sri Lanka who have already lifted the ban on their players involved in the ICL.

There is mounting presure to lift the ban because players who have performed well (in the ICL) are suffering, Miandad added.

Batsmen Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Yousuf, all-rounders Rana Naved and Abdul Razzaq and pacemen Shabbir Ahmed and Mohammad Sami are among the 19 Pakistani players, who are not being considered for the national team as they cannot be allowed to play in the domestic tournaments because they figure in the ICL which is not recoganised either by the BCCI or the ICC.